Eye Care Professionals Focused on Health, Comfort and Lifestyle Benefits,Yet Perceived Obstacles Cause Some to ‘Get Lost’ Along the Way
PLEASANTON, Calif., June 20, 2019—A new industry report from CooperVision profiles the beliefs and behaviors driving the switch to 1-day contact lenses from monthly and two-week modalities. Based on surveys conducted among 450 eye care professionals (ECPs) and 2,000 contact lens wearers in the U.S., Germany, Spain, Italy and France, the findings showed professional actions corroborated by scientific evidence, yet also revealed some challenges caused by perceived barriers to adoption.
The latest publication in the company’s consumer insights series, the report is available for online review and download from coopervision.com/frp-to-1day-sihy.
“It’s clear that eye care professionals are moving in large numbers to refit frequent replacement (FRP) wearers to 1-day contact lenses1, with many also citing the health benefits of silicone hydrogel materials2,” said Gary Orsborn, OD, Vice President, Global Professional and Clinical Affairs at CooperVision. “Yet the report also illustrates that despite scientific understanding and personal preferences, some ECPs misconstrue what their patients want and even expect.”
Five Key Insights
Five primary insights are highlighted in the new publication, each providing a viewpoint on 1-day refitting trendlines.
- The pace of 1-day refitting is increasing. Compared to six months ago, 79% of U.S. ECPs and 46% of European ECPs said they are moving more FRP wearers to 1-day lenses, with a similar proportion feeling this trend will continue over the next year1.
- ECP recommendations matter most. In 84% of all switching scenarios, the ECP is driving the change. Moreover, 69% of patients report that they make their final lens choice based on the ECP recommendation1.
- Eye health and comfort are behind the shift. In 70% of switching cases, ECPs suggested the change because of patient issues with previous contact lenses. Professionals cited general and long-term eye health, comfort at the end of the day, and better fit for patient lifestyle as benefits of moving to a 1-day modality1.
- Beliefs don’t always equate to action. Despite nearly nine in ten ECPs stating that they believe “those in 1-day lenses should be in a silicone hydrogel material2,” it is surprising that nearly half of patients moved from FRP silicone hydrogel lenses are fit with 1-day hydrogel materials3. This disconnect exists even though more than two-thirds of contact lens wearers say they expect their ECP to recommend lenses—regardless of the cost—that provide the oxygen their eye needs4.
- Misperceptions fuel ECP hesitancy. When asked about their use of a hydrogel material when refitting wearers into a 1-day contact lens, 55% of ECPs cited price concerns, while 28% of ECPs believe some patients do not wear their lenses enough to require the oxygen transmissibility benefit of silicone hydrogel materials1.
“While it’s clear that ECPs have a strong inclination to refit wearers into 1-day silicone hydrogel lenses, and are doing so around the world, we still need to partner with them to help overcome perceived obstacles,” said Dr. Orsborn. “One way is through this new report, which includes practical advice on how to communicate the value of these incredible lenses to patients, using language that resonates. It also has tips on discussing price aspects such as cost per wear and care regimen savings, plus noting that some 1-day silicone hydrogel options are priced similarly to 1-day hydrogel lenses.”
CooperVision offers a comprehensive portfolio of silicone hydrogel 1-day lenses, including the clariti® 1 day and MyDay® brands that provide options across price points and lens designs.
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1 CVI data on file 2019. Switching from FRP to DD. Surveys conducted online in Q1 2019 in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain) and the United States. 75 ECPs in each European country, 150 ECPs in the U.S., plus 500 consumers each in Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.S. who had switched from FRP to DD in the last six months, or who were open to using DD in future.
2 Orsborn G, Dumbleton K. Eye care professionals’ perceptions of the benefits of daily disposable silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Cont Lens Anterior Eye, 101016/jclae201902012. 2019.
3 Industry reports and CooperVision data. 2018.
4 CVI data on file 2018. YouGov. Silicone hydrogel lenses. N=1520 adult contact lens wearers. Survey carried out online in the United States.
About CooperVision
CooperVision, a unit of The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses. The Company produces a full array of monthly, two-week and daily disposable contact lenses, all featuring advanced materials and optics. CooperVision has a strong heritage of solving the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism and presbyopia; and offers the most complete collection of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit coopervision.com.
About The Cooper Companies
The Cooper Companies, Inc. ("Cooper") is a global medical device company publicly traded on the NYSE (NYSE:COO). Cooper operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision brings a refreshing perspective on vision care with a commitment to developing a wide range of high-quality products for contact lens wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CooperSurgical is committed to advancing the health of women, babies and families with its diversified portfolio of products and services focusing on medical devices and fertility & genomics. Headquartered in Pleasanton, Calif., Cooper has more than 12,000 employees with products sold in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com.
Media Contact
Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA
McDougall Communications for CooperVision, Inc.
mike@mcdougallpr.com or +1-585-545-1815 (mobile)